Top Swedish retail brand enters Dubai

Dubai, May 4, 2014

Swedish retail brand Clas Ohlson has announced its foray into the Middle East with a unique home and life improvement store at Mirdif City Centre in Dubai.

The 1,500 sq m retail space boasts of a comprehensive range of products and solutions in five categories - home, leisure, electrical, multimedia and hardware, said a company statement.

Under a franchising agreement with SYH Retail, part of Al Homaizi Group of Companies, the Clas Ohlson store will feature clever products and smart solutions designed to improve and enhance everyday living at home and work, at great value.

The Dubai store is the first of a series of rollouts planned by the Swedish retail group globally this year. Clas Ohlson opened 11 stores during fiscal year 2013/2014 ending April 30, 2014.

On the Dubai launch, Seda Bayarlar, the managing director, SYH Retail, Al Homaizi Group of Companies, said: "We are proud to add yet another distinguished brand to our portfolio and excited about introducing to our market a totally unique concept for which Clas Ohlson has become known for in Europe."

"Now with our first store at Mirdif City Center, we believe that our brand will become a new favorite store among the any families of Dubai," he stated.

The number of stores at the end of the period was 185 of which 78 were in Sweden, 64 in Norway, 30 in Finland, 12 in the UK and one in Dubai.

The plan for 2014/2015 is to open 10-15 new stores in particular in Finland, Norway and Sweden.

Klas Balkow, the president and CEO of Clas Ohlson AB, said: "Entering the Middle East market is an important milestone for us as well as a strategic step. We are excited about the opening of the first Clas Ohlson store outside of Europe."

"In addition to growing our business into a new market, the store in Dubai also enables us to expand via franchising for the first time. We look forward to establishing our brand with the strong team at SYH Retail in this new exciting market for us," he added.-TradeArabia News Service